Sewing-machine cabinet.



PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' W. o. FREE.

SBWINGMACHINE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1902.

No MODEL.

No. 755,292. l PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904" w. c. FREE.

*SEWING MACHINE CABINET.

APPLICATION IILIHI) JULY 18. 1902.

N0 IODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 755,292. EA'EENTED MAE.22,1904.

' W. c. EEEE.

SEWING MACHINE CABINET.l

-APPLIOETION EILEDJ'ULY 1a. 1902. l No MODEL. s sHEETg-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE- IVILLIAM C.A FREE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEWING-MACHINE CABINT'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,292, dated March22, 1904.

Application filed J'uly 18,1902. Serial No. 116,088. (No model.)

.T0 all -whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CFREE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Cabinets,off'which itself, are confined to movement which is rectilinear, orpractically so.

the following is specification.

The present invention relates to a cabinet of such construction thatwhen not in use the head of the machine may. be stowed within thecabinet, so as to be completely concealed and protected and out of theway, leaving the top of the cabinet clear and unobstructed for use as atable.

The invention relates more particularly to such a cabinet in which thehead of the machine has a bodily vertical movement as distinguished froma swinging movement about ahorizontal pivot or support.

In a still more restricted sense the invention relates to a cabinet inwhich the power for raising and lowering the head is derived from atable-leaf hinged to the top of the cabinet at one end of the openingthrough it and vis transmitted to the head through the medium of aiieXible connection-such as a cord, wire, cable, chain, or anyequivalent device-trained over suitably-arranged pulleys.

In this specification the connection here referred to will be designatedby the term cable, but always with the understanding that this term isintended to comprehend any suitable ieXible connection that will answerthe requirements.

A cabinet having Vthe characteristics thus broadly stated is not new,and I therefore desire to have it understood that my present inventionconsists in the hereinafter-described improvements in cabinets of theclass indicated.

One ofthe objects of the present invention is to provide improved meansfor guiding the head in its up and down movement, to the end that thestrains shall be evenly distributed throughout the framing orcabinet-work and to the end that unequal strains that would this end Iprovide upon opposite sides of the horizontal head-supporting platformor the path traveled thereby long vertical guides, and I provide theplatform with brackets or slides adapted to engage said guides, so thatthe brackets or slides, as well as the platform In addition to this Iapply the lifting force to the supporting-platform at points which tendto balance the parts and cause them to move in right lines. To this endI use a single cable, which passes beneath the head-supporting platformand which is trained over pulleys fixed to saidplatform and located uponopposite sides of the vertical plane of the guides aforesaid, one end ofsaid cable being fixedly attached to a fixed part of the cabinet, whilethe other is attached to the-hinged leaf aforesaid, being trained at anintermediate point overa pulley supported by afiXed part of the cabinet.I prefer to so locate the pulleys that the cable will pass through or atany rate close to the vertical plane of the center of gravity of themachine-head and the accessories involved in its up andzdown movements,because this arrangement tends toward a perfect balance, since iteliminates those strainswhich would tend to disturb such balance.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide in a cabinet of theclass described means that will protect the working' parts of themachine from dirt and impurities of the atmosphere, that will catch andhold oil that may be dropped by said parts, and that will leave saidparts freely accessible by simply tipping the head backward incustomaryrmanner. To these ends I hinge the base-plate of i the head tothe vertically-movable platform,

and I secure to theunder side'of this platform a drip-pan, whichincloses the workingv parts as completely as desired. Inorder to permit'the use of such a pan and atthe same time make use of the balancedarrangement of parts already described, the platform-pulleys are mountedin brackets which are secured to the under Vside of the platform andproject downward therefrom far enough to cause the cable to clear thebottom of the pan.

, Still other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter,

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In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section in irregular verticalplanes of the sewing-machine cabinet embodying the invention, so much ofa sewing-machine as is necessary in order to show its relation to thecabinet being shown in outline. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectionthereof. In Figs. 1 and 2 the parts are shown by full lines in thepositions which they occupy when the cabinet is open and the machine inposition for use, the positions which said parts occupy when the cabinetis closed and the machine-head stowed therein being indicated by dottedlines. Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a smaller scale, of a cabinet embodyingthe invention, the parts being shown in the positions which they occupywhen the cabinet is open. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof inirregular planes.

The cabinet may comprise the customary cast iron legs A, top B,permanently secured thereto and having an opening through it forpermitting the machine -head to be raised and lowered, a leaf C, hingedto the top, end pieces D, and a back piece E, fixedly secured to thelegs, and a hinged frontpiece F, the top, leaf, ends, back,and frontbeing so constructed and arranged that they form a casing open only atbottom. within which the machine-head G may be stowed when not in use.

The invention is not concerned with the details in the construction ofthe cabinet, or rather the frame thereof, further than as hereinafterpointed out.

The front F is hinged to the top B at its upper edge, and at its loweredge it is con nectcd, by means of a link f, with a verticallymovableplatform H, by which the machinehead G is carried. The platform His inthe form of a rectangular frame having around its inner edge a rabbet,in which the base g of the machine-head is received, so that the top ofsaid base and the top of the platform are flush. At its rear side thebase is connected with the platform by hinges g, so that the head may betipped back in the customary manner for the purpose of giving access tothe parts beneath the base.

The top preferably comprises two parts, one of which is in the form of alarge rectangular frame permanently secured to the legs Aand the otherof which is in the form of a smaller rectangular frame B, resting uponthe part first aforesaid and permanently secured thereto. The object ofthis construction is to bring the then upper surface'of the leaf C flushwith the top of the frame B' when the leaf is open, as shown moreclearly in Figs. 1 and 3. The part B of the top has an opening throughwhich the machine-head moves as the platform H is moved up and down, andthe platform enters and fits this opening snugly, so that its uppersurface is flush with part B- and so that when in place, as shown byfull lines in the drawings, the platform is absolutely and positivelyheld4 against any horizontal movement whatever. The platform has alsoportions 7L, which engage the under side of the top andwhen inengagement positively prevent any further upward movement of theplatform. In the drawings I have shown the parts 7L as consisting ofshort anges projecting from the ends of the platform.

The platformis guided in its up and down Amovements by vertical guides,which I have shown as consisting of two vertical rods I, securedcentrally to the legs A and extending from the top of the cabinetdownward a sufficient distance to permit of the necessary verticalmovement of the head. These guides are engaged by brackets J and Jcarried by the platform H, the brackets being provided with featurescomplementary to the guides, so that the brackets are confined torectilinear movements. Their bearing-surfaces are of sufficient lengthto prevent any considerable tipping or angular movement of the platform,so as to prevent binding upon the guides, due to any tendency on thepart of the platform to such tipping or angular movement. Neal' thebottom of the guides are stops t', which are adapted to engage thebrackets J J and support them and their accessories when the platform islowered to bring the machinehead within the cabinet, as indicated bydotted lines.

For raising and lowering the platform I use a single cable K, one end ofwhich is permanently connected to the under side of the top, as shown atwhile the other end is connected at c to the leaf C. Between thesepoints of connection the cable is trained over pulleys L, M, and N. Thepulley Lis journaled to a bracket supported by the top B, said top beingprovided with an opening b, through which the cable passes. The pulleysM and N are supported by brackets m and oz, respectively, which arecarried by and project downward from the under side of the platform H.The pulleys L and M are so located with respect to each other that theportion of the cable which extends from the periphery of one to theperiphery of the other will be vertical, andthe pulley N is so locatedwith respect to the point of attachment 76 that the portion of the cablewhich extends from said point of. attachment to the periphery of thepulley N will be vertical. With this arrangement the strains which thecable puts upon the platform H will be vertical and parallel with theguides I.

It will be understood without further description that the opening ofthe leaf C (or, in other words, moving it from the position indicated bydotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown by full lines inFigs. 1 and 3) will draw the cable upward over the pulley L, and thuscause the platform and its accessories to be lifted from the positionindicated by the IOO IIO

dotted lines in Figs. l and 2 to the positions shown by full lines insaid figures. The reverse movement' of the leaf will allow the platformand its accessories to move downward from the positions shown by fulllines to the positions indicated by dotted lines.

The length of the cable is preferably such that the flanges t of theplatform will come vto bearings against the top a trilie before the leafreaches its fully-open position, so that the final movement of the leafwill 'put the cable under suiiicient tension to press the platformfirmly and solidly against the top, and thereby hold it as against anydownward pressure which-will be put upon it in ordinary use. It is alsopreferably such that the brackets J and J will come in contact with thestops QI a trifle before the leaf reaches its closed position, so thatthe cable is relieved of the weight of the platform and its accessories,and saidweight is' thrown directly onto the guides, thus relieving thecable, the pulleysand the wooden portions of the cabinet of the weight'of the platform andthe parts carried by it when the machine-head isstowed away.' Another advantage of this arrangement is that it permitsaslight movement of the leaf near its closed position independent of theother parts, so that the lingers may be inserted underv it for liftingit before any substantial weight falls upon it. I prefer also to solocate the pulleys that the cable will pass through or close to thevertical line of the center of gravity of the platform and the partscarried by it, because this arrangement tends to Idistribute* the weightof the parts equally on thel opposite side of the lines of force whichare exerted uponthe platform in raising and loweringv it. In thedrawings I have shown that portion of it which passes from 'the pulleyMto the pulley N as being on a diagonal line, which passes beneath thevertical arm of the head.

For the purpose of catching any oil that mayvdrip from the working partsand at the same time inclosing and protecting said parts a drip-pan O issecured to the under side of the platform H. This pan is of sufficientdepth to accommodate the moving parts, (not shown in the drawings,) andin order to accommodate the pan the brackets m and n are made ofsuflicientlength to bring the cable below the bottom of the pan.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it,

a leaf hinged to the top atone end of said opening and adapted whenclosed to cover th'e opening and when open to form an extension of thetop, a platform movable up and down and adapted to carry a machine-head,a pulley supported by thecabinet at one side of said opening, a cableattached to the cabinet at the opposite 'side of said opening, whence itcrosses the opening, below the top, passes up point of contact with thepulley, for transmitting movement from the cable to the platform,substantially as described.

2. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of said openingand adapted when closed to cover the opening and when open to form anextension of the top, a platform movable up and down and adapted tocarry a machine head, a pulley supported by the cabinet at one side ofsaid opening, a cable attached to the cabinet at the opposite side ofsaid opening whence it crosses the openingbelow the top, passes up-Award over said pulley and is attached to the leaf, pulleys engaging thecable between its point of attachment to the cabinet and its point ofcontact with the pulley first aforesaid, and means interposed betweensaid pulleys and the platform, whereby 'as the leaf is opened saidpulleys are moved upward and the platform is moved with them,'substantially as described. v

,3. In'a-sewing-machine cabinet, the'combination of atop having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of said openingand adapted'when closed to cover the opening and whenopen to form anextension of the top, a horizontalplatform adapted to support amachine-head and movable vbodily up and down, guides for confining theplatform to roo rectilinear movement, apulley supported by the cabinetat one side of ,said opening, a cable attached to the cabinet at theopposite side of said opening, whence it crosses the opening, below thetop, passes upward over said pulley and is attached to the leaf, andmeans carried by the platform and engaging the ca- 3 ble between itspoint of attachment to the cabinet and its point of contact with saidpulley for transmitting movement from the cable tothe platform,substantially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of said openingand adapted when closed to cover the opening and when open to form anextension of the top, a horizontal platform adapted to support amachine-head and movable bodily up and down, a pulley supported by thecabinet at one side of said opening, a cable attached to the cabinet atthe opposite side of said opening whence it crosses the opening, belowthe top, passes upward over said pulley and is attached to the leaf, andvertical guides at the two remaining sides of said opening for guidingthe platform in its up and down movement, and holding vit horizontal,substantially as described.

5. In a sewing-,machine cabinet, the combi- IIO Iso

nation of a top having an opening through it, a leaf hinged to the topat one end of said opening and adapted when closed to cover the openingand when open to form an extension of the top, a horizontal platformadapted to support a machine -head and movable up and down, a pulleysupported by the cabinet at one side of the opening, a cable attached tothe cabinet at the opposite side of said opening whence it crosses theopening, passes over said pulley, and is attached to the leaf, pulleyscarried by the platform and engaging the cable, vertical guides locatedat the remaining two sides of the opening, and slides carried by theplatform and engaging the guides, substantially as described.

6. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, a hinged leaf adapted to cover said opening, aplatform movable up and down and adapted to support a machine-head, apulley supported by the cabinet at one side of the opening, a cableattached to the cabinet at the opposite side of said opening whence itcrosses the opening, below the top, passes over said pulley and isattached to the leaf, and means carried by the platform and engaging thecable between its point of attachment to the cabinet, and its point ofcontact with the pulley through the medium of which the platform issupported, said point of attachment and pulley being located in avertical plane which passes through the center of gravity of theplatform and its accessories, substantially as described.

7. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of said openingand adapted when closed to cover the opening and when open to form anextension of the top, a horizontal platform movable bodily up and downand adapted to carry the machine-head, a pulley supported by the cabinetat one side of said opening, a cable attached to the cabinet at theopposite side of said opening whence it crosses the opening below thetop, passes over said pulley and is attached to the leaf, and pulleyscarried by the platform and engaging the cable between its point ofattachment to the cabinet and its point of contact with the pulley firstaforesaid, the several pulleys and the point at which the cable isattached to the cabinet being so located that the depending portions ofthe cable are vertical, substantially as described.

8. In a sewing-machine cabinet the combination of a top having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of said openingand adapted when closed to cover the opening and when open to form anextension of the top, a horizontal platform movable bodily up and downand adapted to support a machine-head, a pulley supported by the cabinetat the rear side of said opening, a cable attached to the cabinet at thefront side of said opening, said pulley and the point of attachment ofthe cable being so located that a line passing from the circumference ofthe pulley to said point of attachment lies-in avertical plane whichcrosses said opening, said cable being passed over said pulley andattached to the leaf, means engaging the cable between its point ofattachment to the cabinet and its point of contact with the pulley fortransmitting movement from the cable to the platform, vertical guidessecured to the frame of the cabinet at the ends of the opening and lyingin a vertical plane passing centrally through the opening, and slidescarried by the platform and engaging the guides, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, ahinged leaf adapted when closed to cover theopening and when open to form an extension of the top, aplatform movableup and down and adapted to carry the machine-head, a pulley supported bythe cabinet at one side of said opening, a cable attached to the cabinetat the opposite side of said opening whence it crosses the opening,passes over said pulley and is attached to the leaf, a pair of pulleyscarried by the platform and engaging the cable, and means for guidingthe platform in its up-and-down movement, the platform being providedwith a part which enters the opening and fits it snugly, and withflanges for engaging the under` side of the top and preventing thefurther upward movement of the platform as the leaf is nearing its openposition, substantially as described. y

l0.l In a sewing-machine cabinet, the combination of a top having anopening through it, a leaf hinged to the top at one end of the openingand adapted when closed to cover said opening and when open to form anextension of the top, a horizontal platform movable bodily up and `downand adapted to support a machine-head, guides for confining the platformto a rectilinear movement, a pulley supported by the cabinet at ltherear side thereof, a cable having one end attached to the cabinet at thefront side thereof. and its other end attached to the leaf, a pair ofpulleys located in a vertical plane touching the periphery of the pulleyfirst aforesaid and the point at which the cable is attached to thecabinet, and brackets attached to the platform and supporting said pairof pulleys with the periphery of one of them in vertical line with theperiphery of the pulley first aforesaid and the periphery of the otherin vertical line with the point atwhich the cable is attached to thecabinet, substantially as described.

WILLIAM c. FREE.

Witnesses:

WM. J. HAITCH, J. A. OLsoN.

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